The present invention relates to a data communication apparatus and method for transmitting/receiving data and, more particularly, to a data communication apparatus and method for performing data communications via a private network such as a local area network (LAN) or the like, and a public network such as a telephone line or the like.
Conventionally, for example, a facsimile apparatus having two interfaces, one of which is connected to a LAN and the other is connected to a public network such as a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network), an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), or the like, is known. The facsimile apparatus performs facsimile transmission via the public network on the basis of a transmission request from a terminal on the LAN, and notifies the terminal on the LAN of data reception or distributes received data when it receives data via the public network.
However, in the conventional facsimile apparatus, the reception result information of which a transmitting facsimile apparatus is notified via the public network is information only associated with the facsimile apparatuses which have communicated with each other. That is, a reception station cannot be notified via the public network of information associated with the terminal on the LAN, e.g., information as to whether or not the apparatus can notify the terminal on the LAN of data reception or whether or not the apparatus can distribute data to the terminal.